Romania - Mobile Market Insights, Overview and Statistics

Synopsis

Romania’s mobile communications market is served by five mobile network operators utilising a mixture of GSM, CDMA and WCDMA technologies. Current penetration levels indicate saturation although multiple SIM-card ownership is evident. Mobile broadband is widely available following the launch of 3G networks, with competition making services increasingly affordable. This report provides a concise overview of Romania’s growing mobile market, covering market developments, as well as profiling the major operators and offering a variety of financial and performance statistics. It also provides an update on spectrum auctions and regulatory developments.

Key developments:

New EU roaming tariffs come into effect; RCS&RDS upgrades its mobile broadband speeds to 14.4Mb/s in 20 cities; regulator reduces fixed-line and mobile termination rates for 2012; Orange and Vodafone have licences extended by one year; Ministry of Defence encouraged to release 800MHz and 2600MHz spectrum for commercial LTE; Orange extends HSPA+ network; regulator issues guidelines on MVNO market entry; Cosmote reports fall in revenue in 2011; regulator prepares auction for 4G frequencies; regulator’s market data to June 2011; operator data to end-2011 and updates for 2012.

Companies covered in this report include:

Vodafone Romania, Orange Romania, Cosmote Romania, DigiMobil, Telemobil.

1. Synopsis
2. Mobile communications
- 2.1 Overview of Romania’s mobile market
- 2.2 Mobile statistics
- 2.3 Regulatory issues
  - 2.3.1 Third Generation (3G) licences
  - 2.3.2 450MHz licence awarded
  - 2.3.3 900MHz band
  - 2.3.4 2.5GHz band
  - 2.3.5 Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
  - 2.3.6 Mobile Termination Rates (MTR)
  - 2.3.7 Roaming
- 2.4 Mobile technologies
  - 2.4.1 Third Generation (3G) mobile
- 2.5 Major mobile operators
  - 2.5.1 Vodafone
  - 2.5.2 Orange
  - 2.5.3 Cosmote Romania/Cosmorom
  - 2.5.4 DigiMobil
- 2.6 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
- 2.7 Mobile voice services
  - 2.7.1 Prepaid services
- 2.8 Mobile data services
  - 2.8.1 Short Message Service (SMS)/Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
  - 2.8.2 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
  - 2.8.3 Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE)
  - 2.8.4 Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+)
  - 2.8.5 Long-term Evolution (LTE)
  - 2.8.6 Broadband wireless data service (1x EV-DO)
  - 2.8.7 Mobile TV
- 2.9 Mobile content and applications
  - 2.9.1 Orange World
3. Related reports

Table 1 – Overview of spectrum allocations – 2012
Table 2 – Mobile subscribers (active SIM) and penetration rate – 1997 - 2013
Table 3 – Mobile traffic – 2009 - 2013
Table 4 – Mobile market revenue – 2008 - 2013
Table 5 – Overview of mobile services by operator – 2012
Table 6 – Mobile number portings – 2008 - 2011
Table 7 – Mobile number portings as share of total lines– 2008 - 2011
Table 8 – Vodafone subscribers and voice minutes – 2008 - 2011
Table 9 – Vodafone ARPU – 2008 - 2011
Table 10 – Vodafone revenue – 2009 - 2011
Table 11 – Orange subscribers – 2007 - 2011
Table 12 – Orange annualised ARPU, data ARPU as proportion to total – 2008 - 2011
Table 13 – Orange mobile revenue – 2008 - 2011
Table 14 – Cosmote Romania financial data – 2006 - 2011
Table 15 – Cosmote Romania subscribers – 2006 - 2011
Table 16 – Cosmote Romania ARPU – 2006 - 2011
Table 17 – Zapp subscribers – 2009 - 2010
Table 18 – Ratio of prepaid to postpaid subscribers – 2000 - 2013
Table 19 – Vodafone prepaid subscribers – 2005 - 2011
Table 20 – Cosmote Romania prepaid subscribers – 2008 - 2011
Table 21 – Total MMS messages sent – 2008 - 2013
Table 22 – Total SMS messages sent – 2005 - 2013

Chart 1 – Mobile subscribers (active SIM) and penetration rate – 2000 – 2013
Chart 2 – Vodafone subscribers and voice minutes – 2008 – 2011
Chart 3 – Vodafone ARPU – 2008 – 2011
Chart 4 – Vodafone revenue – 2009 – 2011
Chart 5 – Orange subscribers – 2007 – 2011
Chart 6 – Orange annualised ARPU, data ARPU as proportion to total – 2008 – 2011